does anyone have any specialist knowledge of thyroid problems?

[VicarGoingForGoldInKungFu]

i have had many blood tests that come back within "normal" range - however, for the last 5 years i have had verruccas that wont go, felt very tired, sleep alot and put on weight easily but cant lose it.....

i recently went to a podiatrist for the veruccas and he has said i have 28 of them. my feet are covered.
he says they normally only get that bad if someone has an underlying health issue such as Thyroid problems, (hello!!!????) diabetes or cancer........

i have for a long time been convinced that i have thyroid issues despite the tests coming back within in normal range.....

can anyone tell me if my instincts could be right with this?
can the blood tests say normal range but can that be abnormal for you as an individual?

5 years ago, i got the veruccas, i put on 2 stone that will not shift on pain of death, i have to virtually starve myself to lose a few pound, only to gain again if i eat more normally.....
yet the gp keeps saying bloods show normal thyroid levels....
i dont get it.

disclaimer - not an expert. But, 'normal' thyroid results cover a wide range and there are various levels they can check. Just because your test falls vaguely under 'normal range' doesn't necessary mean the result is optimal for you

EG like a test for anaemia - it could come back at the very lowest end of normal - but actually you might still feel better if you had some additional iron and got it up towards optimal levels.

If you feel very convinced your thyroid is wonky I would see about a private referral to an endocrinologist who can test you properly and if they give you the all clear then you can trust it.

FWIW a lot of your symptoms are fairly vague and I have most of the same except for verrucas some of it is the approach of middle age for me I suspect Feeling stressed is also associated with feeling tired etc though, worth bearing in mind at the moment.

its only the podiatrist that has got me wondering due to the sheer number of veruccas i have and the fact he says that number is not normal for someone with no underlying health issues - i have had them 5 years, which is seems a huge coincidence as thats when i gained 2 stone......

how much would a private referral to an endocrinolgist cost me.....sounds expensive?

I think a consultation would be around £100 but that is a wild guess, blood tests would be in addition. But, most of the good ones would work in the NHS as well and they tend to chuck you onto their NHS list for further treatment/follow up if needed

www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Thyroid-Function-Tests-(TFTs).htm There's some interesting stuff about subclinical disease etc on here - important too to see if the dr checked t3/t4 as well as TSH

thank you. that is interesting. i think i am going to go and see my gp again tomorrow with the gory stumps that used to be my feet and my list of woes.....

do you think im worrying for nowt then.....i will be happy to be told i am! the podiatrist just bothered me, he didnt seem to think it was normal to get this many verruccas and have them for so long.....he counted a total of 28 over both feet.

its embarrassing!

i just put 2 and 2 together and came up with thyroid because he mentioned thyroid - i sincerely hope its not anything else he mentioned!

NB I have no specialist knowledge of anything medical, but might be worth you looking at more info about insulin resistance/pre-diabetes, as that could tie in with the weight gain.

really?

i think i will just go and tell the doc about my gory stumpy feet - and see where that leads me then.
couldnt get appt today, but have one tomorrow.

Sounds like a trip to GP is needed

While there, get a print out of your thyroid test results and the reference range to see if you were hovering near the end of the range

Good luck at the GP

again I am utterly non-medical, but as I understand it pre-diabetes involves similarish hormonal changes to PCOS, so can pre-dispose you to putting on weight. Pre-diabetes would likely include raised BP and cholesterol as well as excess weight.

mmmmm......i think im pretty healthy - im within normal BMI (just!) but i am always so tired, i can sleep easily for 10 hours and still be tired, put weight on so easily, and have to starve and exercise like billio to lose it, only to put it back on when i eat "normally", and then there are the verrucas.....it may be nothing. it just got me wondering when i realised what state my feet were in.....